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"A question for you. Would you rather Bucknell make the NCAA's once every 20 years or so and get ass raped by teams like Kansas in the first round or have them drop down a rung to a confernce where they can compete for a title?"
- Josh Hinkle1st Round Final Scores: Bucknell 64 Kansas 63 | Bucknell 59 Arkansas 55

I enjoyed Alan's offensive display on the credit card industry. Marisa Coughlan looked cuter and cuter as she became more and more impressed by Alan's oratory skills and research.

Denny again stole the show, though Shirley did a credible job of shifting the emphasis on imposing the "what would you do if your child was kidnapped by a pedophile" onus onto the jury. It's that simple.

Do I see the foreshadowing of a rift in the Alan/Denny friendship? Spader & Shatner bring so much into their scenes together, it's easy to "overread" them.

You are not the only one who sees this. I hope they handle it in a way as to not destroy the relationship between those two. The thing that makes Alan Shore a likeable character on this show as opposed to The Practice is the way he cares for Denny. On the Practice he seemed like a perverted asshole with no moral compass unless it benefited himself. However you can see a side of compassion stemming from his friendship with Denny that makes he appear as though he is capable of caring rather than just appearing to be someone to fight all injustice just so he can be in the limelight.

The rift between Alan and Denny has slowly been more pointed each week and I thought this week's episode cemented the future break in their friendship after seeing that look of disgust on Alan's face.

I can see were there is a potential difference between Denny and Alan, but to me the show is about their friendship. They are like family in a way where tho they see things from very different viewpoints but when the chips are down its Them vs everyone else.
That to me is the magic of this show.. Denny and Alan are the latest in a long line of buddy shows that really appeal. Only a fool would break up Laurel and Hardy ,Abbott and Costello, Denny Crane and Alan Shore.
It really seemed to me that they’ve downplayed the conspiracy against Denny from season 1 and they'll let it build up towards a season finalle where it comes to a head at the season finale of season 2 where Denny is being pushed out and it will be up to Alan to save him.
If at some point they turn Alan and Denny against each other ..that when the show Jumps the Shark

This is how Denny should be. He may have mad cow disease, etc. but he is still a top notch lawyer, just on instinct alone.

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Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. - C.S. Lewis